25th October: Northamptonshire Day

Today is Northamptonshire Day. Here are some facts about the English county of Northamptonshire.

1. Northamptonshire, archaically known as the County of Northampton, is situated in the East Midlands of England. In 2015 its population was 723,000.
2. The county's nicknames include “Rose of the Shires” and the “Land of Spires and Squires”, because it has some beautiful countryside, including several village churches with spires, and is home to plenty of landed gentry. The best known landed gentry family in the area is probably the Spencer family, who have their home at Althorp.
3. As well as Diana, other famous people from Northamptonshire include Jo Wiley, Toby Anstis, Nanette Newman and Matt Smith.
4. Northamptonshire's towns include Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Daventry, Towcester, and, of course, Northampton.
5. Northampton has the biggest market square in England. The market was chartered back in 1189, and used to take place around All Saints church, until Henry III decreed in 1235 that the area around the church should not be used for commerce. It then moved to its present site.
6. Some famous brands made in the county include Weetabix, Doc Martens, Carlsberg (brewed in Northampton, although based in Denmark), a number of Formula one teams (including Mercedes F1) and Cosworth, who have supplied Formula One engines since 1963. Northampton also has a historical association with Shoe making, which is why its football team is nicknamed “the Cobblers”.
7. The demonstration of world’s first RADAR took place in Daventry under the supervision of Robert Watson-Watt. This took place in the BBC Empire Service (present day BBC World Service) building, used to broadcast radio transmissions from Borough Hill, Daventry with a famous tagline ‘Daventry Calling’.
8. The Gunpowder Plot was first hatched in Ashby St Ledgers in the Daventry area. It's also said that the first shots in the English Civil War were fired at Kilsby, near where the village school now stands.
9. There is a famous haunted house – Rushton Hall, home of the Tresham family, is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Italian maid who died in mysterious circumstances and now walks the corridors wearing her wedding dress and wringing her hands.
10. The first car chase involving police took place in Northampton in 1899. The policeman concerned was Sergeant Hector Macleod, and yes, he caught the crook.

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